The Municipality of Odesa is advancing marine biodiversity conservation through the BioProtect Marine Planner Coastal Demonstration, an initiative that supports the protection and restoration of critical coastal and marine habitats, including the Kuyalnyk Estuary, submarine seagrass meadows, and rocky reefs. As the war in Ukraine continues, these ecosystems are facing unprecedented environmental pressures that require coordinated, science-based action.
Odesa’s Black Sea coastline has become one of the areas where the environmental consequences of war are increasingly visible. Repeated attacks on critical infrastructure, ports, and coastal facilities have increased the risk of fuel and oil spills, chemical releases, damaged wastewater systems, and contaminated runoff reaching the sea. Sea mines, unexploded ordnance, and other military debris continue to wash ashore, while large sections of the coastline and adjacent waters remain under military restrictions, limiting access for both the public and environmental monitoring. Storms and sea currents transport stranded debris, oil residues, plastics, and other hazardous materials onto beaches and coastal habitats, creating additional risks for wildlife and coastal ecosystems. Underwater explosions and ongoing military operations have also intensified acoustic disturbance, placing additional stress on marine wildlife and disrupting fragile coastal environments.
The impacts extend throughout the marine ecosystem. Pollution from hydrocarbons, nutrients, heavy metals, fuel residues, and other contaminants degrades water quality, contributes to eutrophication and oxygen depletion, and weakens habitats that support fish, benthic organisms, and other marine life. Coastal wetlands, lagoons, submarine seagrass meadows, and rocky reefs are increasingly vulnerable to contamination, physical disturbance, and the accumulation of hazardous materials, reducing their ability to sustain biodiversity. Underwater explosions, naval operations, military sonar, and other conflict-related activities generate intense acoustic disturbance that affects cetaceans such as dolphins, disrupting their navigation, communication, and feeding behaviour. Sensitive species, including the common stingray, a characteristic species of the Black Sea, are also under increasing pressure as habitats deteriorate and contaminants accumulate throughout the marine food web. Together, these impacts threaten biodiversity, weaken ecosystem resilience, and make it more difficult to fully understand the scale of environmental damage while hostilities continue.
The BioProtect demonstration will support systematic beach and coastal monitoring to document stranded debris, military remnants, pollution, shoreline changes, and the condition of sensitive habitats and marine wildlife. Environmental monitoring, biodiversity assessments, and stakeholder collaboration will help collect critical environmental evidence where access is possible, improving understanding of the war’s impacts on coastal ecosystems and supporting informed conservation, restoration planning, and long-term environmental recovery when conditions allow.
More info about Bioprotect Ukraine: Restoring Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience in the Odessa Region through Innovative Area-Based Solutions: https://bioprotect-project.eu/associated-regions/ukraine/
